Raiders' rookie QB Derek Carr's strong start could take him far

Updated 7:24 am, Friday, August 29, 2014

Derek Carr (left) and Mychal Rivera connected on a 20-yard touchdown that put Oakland ahead 21-7 in the first quarter.

Derek Carr (left) and Mychal Rivera connected on a 20-yard touchdown that put Oakland ahead 21-7 in the first quarter.

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) less

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose ... more

Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press

Raiders' rookie QB Derek Carr's strong start could take him far

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There is a very good chance that Matt Schaub's sore elbow won't be getting any better this week.

Rookie Derek Carr led the Raiders on four straight touchdown drives to open the game Thursday night, a 41-31 win over the Seahawks at O.co Coliseum. The second-round pick out of Fresno State finished 11-of-13 for 143 yards and three touchdowns, and it's hard to imagine him not starting the season-opener at New York on Sept. 7.

"The great thing is that we have three guys that can be starting quarterbacks for us," head coach Dennis Allen said after the game, throwing Matt McGloin in the mix as well. "I am very happy with the quarterback room. We have to see where Matt (Schaub) is when he comes in on Monday.

"Derek continues to improve."

Two of the touchdown drives came against the Super Bowl champions' first-team defense. Latavius Murray, running like Marshawn Lynch, scored on a 5-yard touchdown and then Carr went over the top to Denarius Moore for a 36-yard score.

Carr later hit Mychal Rivera for a 20-yard touchdown and Moore again on a quick, 11-yard back-shoulder throw.

"I was very excited that their first-team defense played," Carr said. "You want to play against the best, and they have the ring to prove it ... I felt good in pre-game and our receivers were getting open and the line was giving me time."

Center Stefen Wisniewski told Carr he was "less rookie" on Thursday, but the excitable kid still made sure to have some fun. He dove in the Black Hole after his third touchdown. "I have been dreaming of doing that since I was a kid."

Schaub, after an ineffective first three games, missed the week of practice and this game with a sore elbow. But in the exact same scenario that took place with veteran Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor a year, ago, Schaub likely watched Carr take his starting job in the preseason finale.

Last season, Allen didn't say anything on Pryor winning the job - for competitive reasons - and then Pryor took the field in Indianapolis in the opener.

It would be a fast rise for Carr, who opened the offseason as the No. 3 quarterback but quickly moved past Matt McGloin, who started six games for Oakland last season.

And while Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie can't be happy with trading for and paying millions to a quarterback who didn't make it out of the preseason ... again, it's the results on the field that matter. If anything, going with the rookie Carr might give McKenzie and Allen more time with owner Mark Davis after back-to-back 4-12 seasons.

Carr came into the game Thursday and quickly shook up a stunned crowd that had just sat down and seen the Raiders defense get marched on in a four-play touchdown drive. Only four starters played for Oakland on defense, but still ... rookie cornerback TJ Carrie was beaten deep and then linebacker Kaluka Maiava lost tight end Luke Willson on a 25-yard touchdown.

Carr came in and was 5-for-7 on his first drive, then needed just one play on each of his next two touchdown drives.

After rookie cornerback Keith McGill stripped Seattle returner Bryan Walters of the ball, Carr quickly threw it up for Moore streaking down the right sideline. Then, two minutes later, Carrie showed why he won the punt return job so easily with a nifty 45-yard return. Next play, Carr threw down the middle for Rivera, who made a nice catch after the ball was tipped by Malcolm Smith.

Later, Carr found Rivera again for a 27-yarder that set up his third touchdown pass, a quick strike to Moore. It's only the preseason, but the last Raiders quarterback with three touchdown passes in the first half in the regular season was Kerry Collins in 2004.

Meanwhile, the last Raiders quarterback of the future (OK, not quite) was on the other sideline.

Pryor, who started nine games for Oakland last year, was booed, for some reason, when he came in. But then he completed 11 of 17 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Raiders' 3 notables

Derek Carr: Not quite perfect (Seattle's Russell Wilson was 3-for-3 for a QB rating of 158.3) but 152.1 is not bad. There was never any question about the rookie's arm or smarts, and he has looked cool in the pocket as well.

Denarius Moore: Head coach Dennis Allen often questions his focus and attention to detail, but Moore responds every now and then. Two touchdown catches should silence whispers that the third-year player might get cut Saturday.

Latavius Murray: Murray showed in the first three games that he could move well in traffic inside, and Thursday, he just ran over people. Eight carries for 41 yards and a touchdown shows the Raiders have a powerful alternative behind Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden.

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